Social Change in Positive Possible Selves:

Youth’s Views of Themselves in Adult Social Roles


Joanna R. Pepin

University of Toronto


Melissa A. Milkie

University of Toronto

Possible Selves

Research Questions

  1. Are there changes in youth’s views of their possible selves as spouses, parents, and workers?
  2. Do these projected future selves vary by gender?

MTF

Monitoring the Future Surveys 1976-2023

nationally representative sample of U.S. 12th-graders
N = 99,399






Key IVs

  • Year
  • Year2
  • Gender

Weighted statistics of the pooled sample

Variable Overall
N = 99,399 (100%)		 Men
N = 47,369 (48%)		 Women
N = 52,030 (52%)
Mom completed college 33% 34% 31%
Race identity


    White 71% 73% 70%
    Black 11% 9.4% 12%
    Another race 18% 18% 18%
Region


    Northeast 20% 19% 20%
    Midwest 27% 27% 27%
    South 34% 34% 34%
    West 19% 19% 19%

Findings

‘How good do you think you would be as a _________’

‘How good do you think you would be as a _________’

Implications

Thank you!

Joanna R. Pepin
University of Toronto


Melissa A. Milkie
University of Toronto

Slides:
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